A little brown dachshund can be seen some days sunning itself near the Regal Cinema in Franklin Square. If approached, it runs into the nearby woods.

The timid animal has lived near the theater for about five months, eluding all who attempt to capture her.

Gaston County Animal Control officers have made multiple attempts to lay their hands on the dog, to no avail.

Several dog lovers also tried to capture the canine – bringing food and attempting to gain her trust.

The amount of attention the dog has gotten is atypical, according to Steve Rhyne with animal control. He guessed that her sweet appearance paired with a busy shopping center as the reason she’s become so popular.

Sly dog

Animal Control officers make regular stops to check up on the dog and attempt to capture her.

Lowell police joined in.

Capt. Scott Bates drives by practically every morning, often bringing some of his dogs’ treats. She won’t take the bait. In fact, the dog often turns her nose up at Bates’ dog bones. He said other visitors feed the pup more tantalizing morsels.

Hamburgers and table scraps may be why the animal isn’t interested in the dog food put in traps by Animal Control.

“It’s definitely not going to go in a trap when it’s getting sausage biscuits from Bojangles’,” said Rhyne.

The animal lives back in the woods that border I-85. Officers can’t easily chase the dog into the thicket of kudzu and briars.

“This dog is very crafty,” said Rhyne. “It’s hard for us to chase a dog that’s only a few inches tall.”

The spry little dog often runs up to cars it knows, waiting for treats. But she stays far enough away to quickly dart back into the woods.

One woman who visits the dog regularly got close enough to pet the dog, but the end result remains. The dachshund tucked her tail and ran away.

Top dog

Ashley Stewart noticed the homeless dog during the summer. After several attempts to capture the dog, Stewart put out a call for help on Facebook.

Stewart posted about the pup in August on One Man’s Junk, a page typically dedicated to buying, selling and trading goods. Some people have used the page to buy and sell animals or ask for help finding a lost pet.

Stewart hoped the post would help.

“I just felt so bad for the little girl. It’s pitiful. She’s such a cute one and you want her to have a good home,” said Stewart. “I thought if we got enough people involved we could get her home.”

Page 2 of 2 - The thread has more than 200 comments – many centered on a plan to rally to capture the animal.

Those attempts, too, have failed.

Communication between the dog’s admirers began in a less high-tech fashion, according to Rhyne.

Rhyne noticed several months ago that people had started pinning notes to each other on a tree near where the dog lives. Caregivers would say what food or toys they’d left or pass along phone numbers to contact in case the dog was captured.

Doggone it

Catching a small, swift dog can be tougher than people think, according to Animal Control.

People have suggested using nets or tranquilizers. Neither technique is advisable for a small animal with a good temperament, said Steven Hay with Animal Control.

“We’re hesitant to use a tranquilizer on it because it’s a small dog. There’s a danger of killing it,” he said.

Throwing a blanket or net over a dog that’s so afraid of people could provoke an attack, said Hay.

The dog has no collar or tags. Employees at nearby PetSmart told Hay that the animal got away from its owner during a visit to the store.

“It got spooked, and they couldn’t get it back,” Hay said.

Hay said Animal Control has no intent to euthanize the dog if it’s captured. On the contrary, there’s a list of people who want to give the animal a home.

Stewart hasn’t been able to check on the dog for a while due to an unrelated injury, but just Wednesday Rhyne stopped by and saw the animal.

Both he and Hay say they’re confident that the dog’s caregivers will eventually gain her trust and give her a home.

“There’s a whole coalition of people out there feeding it hoping they’ll get their hands on it,” said Hay. “Sooner or later someone will probably be able to snatch it up.”

You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.